Embers of the Lost
Chapter 5: Xeomont Peaks

Sleep made up the majority of time usage over the next few weeks. Safe, warm, and fed, her body was allowed to recover properly for the first time in weeks… or was it months since she’s found out the truth about Finnigan? Days had merged together in the Archaic Densewood; the only certainty she had, was it couldn’t have been any more than a couple of months as her body hadn’t lost all of its mass through starvation. The food the tribe provided was rich in nutrients and her body began to fill out again relatively quickly, though she had to eat a small amount more often as her stomach couldn’t handle large meals.

Once her leg was fully recovered and she no longer needed the contraption to keep her steady, Lily could venture outside on the ice and snow of the Xeomont Peaks.

Xalina’s tribe lived on the east facing side of the mountain and commonly hunted in the early morning when other critters were waking up. Vegetation was fetched by groups who headed down the mountain, these were usually made up of the strongest warriors of the tribe as it was dangerous to go near Witch territory.

The air was beautifully clear up in the peaks even if it constantly held a chill.

The tribe set Lily up with thick clothing made of fur and animal skin which was incredibly good at insulating her skin. She had explained she wouldn’t need something so thick, just enough that her body didn’t succumb to the ice it was used to… but they had insisted, and the fur lined boots they had provided made it feel like she was walking on fluffy clouds, so she stopped protesting.

They were only being welcoming, which wasn’t something she was used to

“Do you want to join our training tomorrow, Lil?” Xalina asked while they sat around a fire over which was a large pot cooking the night’s meal for the tribe.

“Oh, you’ll have great fun!” A young man chimed up. His name was Xavion, a friendly teen who had been interested in asking Lily about what it was like in the Fae Woodland and Archaic Densewood. Apparently, he was banned from going too far from the tribe because his curiosity of the wider world often got the better of him and he ended up in dangerous situations. Xavion’s colouring was red when it came to his scales, the edges of his wings and his hair. Not an auburn like Dia’s had been, this was darker and almost intimidating. Or it would have been if the male knew how to give a death glare.

Lily had noticed that the Draconians, as a rule, had blues, reds or purples in their colourings, and the majority had darker hued skin than fairies. Though that made sense as they spent a lot of time outside in the direct rays of the sun above. It was beautiful though, and more than once Lily had found herself wishing she had something more than white and silver on her body. Especially the purple, she liked the purple hues.

“I can try,” She agreed, though was really unsure on how well she would keep up with them.

“You’re not allowed to use magic to help,” Tanith warned.

“I don’t mind. I wasn’t allowed to use magic with the Litihana at all and I survived.” Lily chortled. “It’s quite nice learning how to do things without magic though, it’s like looking at the world in a new light.”

“Deep…” Xalina teased, petting the head of Tanith’s snake companion which was settled around the draconian’s shoulders.

“It’s pretty cool though,” Xavion chimed as he handed out the bowls of food to the three girls and sat himself down on the snow in front of them.

“What is?” Tanith raised an eyebrow, glancing up from where she was offering Kiki some of the meat from her bowl; the little feline curled on her lap and gratefully munching on whatever she was offered.

“Well, think about it,” Xavion shrugged. “Lily’s probably the only one who’s experienced all four cultures now. Like, not just knowing about them, but properly experiencing them.”

“It’s a shame no one seems willing to believe you though,” Tanith added in a barely audible whisper. The Dregana had come back after deliberation saying that they couldn’t risk standing against the other races on the word of one girl. Once again, the evidence Lily carried had been dismissed.

“Can you imagine living in a world where we could just go wherever we wanted?” Xavion sighed wistfully.

“Could go to the mainland and do that there,” Oscar pointed out from Lily’s lap.

“We could all go and escape the war completely,” Xalina suggested.

“Somehow, if we can’t convince them to believe about the races they know exist, I can’t see us being able to convince them all to trek to a land that may or may not exist.” Xavion laughed with a shake of his head. “Besides, it’s not like the Litihana gave Lily directions.”

“Yeah, it could be a lie and it’s just the Densewood going on and on for years.”

“And we almost died there within a month!” Kiki spluttered around a mouthful of food.

Would Kipar really have made up the idea of the world being bigger than this war-torn area? Lily couldn’t see why he would have done it, there was nothing to gain from telling her about it. Though, she supposed it was a way to make her think going back to the Litihana wasn’t a good idea as they supposedly were not anywhere close in the tunnels and she’d get lost trying to replace her way. Had she just been naive again, believing Kipar for his word?

Was she being naive, believing Xalina and Tanith that she was safe here in the tribe and she wasn’t about to be sold out? She didn’t think they would lie to her… but then, she also hadn’t dreamed in a million years that Finnigan would have been lying to her the whole time either.

She had to make the decision whether to trust or not to trust, and there was a voice in her mind that told her trusting people was unwise. Still, she wanted friendship, she wanted to trust those around her and know she wasn’t alone.

So, Lily made the conscious decision to put her trust in her friends and the draconians. Joining their training was a good idea to build her strength back up, and it turned out to be a much more intense activity than Lily could have ever imagined.

Draconians were melee fighters who used pole arms. Lily had never even considered having to fight without her magic before, and she did wonder what good it would have done in the face of magic, but the hikes up and down the side of the Xeomont Peaks every morning increased her leg strength and her stamina. Being taught hand to hand fighting and how to disarm an enemy or subdue them without having to actually strike them was fascinating. Her body didn’t get bigger, but the knowledge and the skill came with a feeling of security within herself.

“Does this actually work if you are against witches?” Lily asked Xavion one afternoon as he tried to guide her in how to hold a pole arm properly. Her arm was mostly healed and the lightweight weapon was good to train with. The length of it allowed her to use it as a walking aid if her ankle twinged at any point as well.

“I… don’t actually know.” Xavion replied awkwardly. “We have a resilience to magic, but we don’t really see witches often to know?”

“So why train so much?” Kiki huffed.

Xavion blinked down at her with his red eyes and seemed to take a few moments to think about the question. “Because we always have? Makes us feel safer?”

“I think living up here in icy conditions is more likely to keep you safe,” Oscar chuckled, swiping snow up at Kiki’s face. With a small growl, the smaller feline turned and pounced on the larger.

“That’s true; I can’t see them venturing up here. I can control ice and I nearly didn’t make it because starving made the cold set in. Witches wouldn’t even have the help of being resistant to cold.” Lily mused. That was the reason she suspected that Finnigan and the others hadn’t continued up the mountain after her. Unless they thought that avalanche had killed her? If they did, wouldn’t it be easy just to stay up the mountain and never be seen by the witches again?

The answer, of course, was that would be the easy path to take. But Lily knew she couldn’t just hide up here. The information she carried in the satchel safely under her fur sheets in the medic tepee couldn’t just go forgotten. Not only would the impending war happen, but they would continue to do so every century. That was too much blood to have on her hands just for the sake of her own comfort.

“You ok there?” Xavion asked, bopping her lightly on the top of her head to bring her attention back to reality.

“Yeah. I just… I can’t stay here forever.” She admitted lamely.

“Why?” Xavion asked with his head tilting slightly. “You’re welcome, and it’s safe from the war.”

“The war shouldn’t happen.”

“How can you stop it?”

“I don’t know!” Lily snapped. That was the big issue. She didn’t know how to stop it. She had thought that Xalina might be able to help, but the Dregana had been adamant that the risk was too high even if Lily was right. So, was it really just her? Sure, it wasn’t like she had much else to lose… but could she really make a difference on her own?

Sighing, she handed the pole arm back to Xavion and walked away towards the edge of the ledge they were training on. Sitting down to dangle her legs over the side, Lily found herself looking at the vast land beyond. She could see the trees of the Densewood across to the right and she could see a valley at the base of the mountain through the clear air. Everything was so small from this height, but that didn’t make her feel any better.

Folding his wings behind him, Xavion came to sit beside her, leaning forward a little so he could look at her face.

“If no one will listen, why is it your responsibility? You’ve told your kind, the Litihana, and now mine… surely, you’ve done your part.”

“Have I?”

“Haven’t you? Who else is there to go to?” The heartbreak in Lily’s eyes at Xavion’s words was enough to make the male recoil a little and guilt mar his features.

“So, what? I accept that there’s nothing I can do to stop people dying in less than three years?!” That couldn’t be it! She wouldn’t allow that to be it.

“No. You accept that you might be able to save individuals, rather than everyone.” Xavion sighed. “You could still save your family; keep convincing our Dregana to take our people to another land away from the war; you could go into the witches’ territory and save your friend.”

“And let everyone else suffer?”

“One person can’t save the world. You’ll die trying.” Xavion shook his head at the seething look that was deepening on Lily’s face. How could he?! How could he so easily condemn so many faceless strangers?

“Then I’ll die.” Lily said with anger she had never known within herself as she jumped to her feet and stormed off through the training ground.

Her feet took her away from the tribe and further up the side of the mountain. Angry muttering sounded from her lips into the silent cold. What was it with people?! How could they not see what was right? How could they be so blinded by fear that they would allow those they don’t know to die?! Her own kind had so quickly believed she was a traitor over the idea that she might have found something to stop a war, Dia had believed Finnigan about Lily using them for information to replace their weaknesses, the Litihana, who had magic repelling armour, refused to help save lives, and now the draconians… people who were blessed by dragons themselves… would do nothing but hide in the mountains as blood and death stained the land below.

Fear was a big factor, but the other seemed to be a lack of willingness to believe in anything that wasn’t what people had been taught was true.

“How am I supposed to untangle a web this big?” She grumbled, settling herself on a ledge from which she could climb no higher. “There’s got to be someone who will help…”

But who? Maybe if she could get back and speak to her parents? Or perhaps Jared… though Jared was Layla Linwood’s son so there was a high chance that he was involved and couldn’t be trusted. She could go and replace Dia and see if she could convince her of the truth.

In reality, she knew she needed adults on her side. But what adult other than her parents had ever been on her side?

“Pfft, they’d all sooner lock me away in a metal crate,” she said bitterly to herself.

A flake of snow landed on her nose as the clouds began to build, covering the blue of the sky in a deep, cold grey. Fitting; that was how her heart was beginning to feel with her hopeless train of thought. Blank calmness filled her mind as her eyes followed the soft flakes falling to the snow already coating her boots.

Maybe they were all right… if she left, she could be free. Truly free. She could live for herself and she could make all of her decisions for her own life. She could travel, meet people, discover places, and never have to worry about not fitting in again. Perhaps she could replace the other land Kipar had spoken of, perhaps there were even more than just that one. Maybe she could replace a place where she wasn’t the outcast for not being normal.

It was tempting.

No, it was more than tempting. A large part of lily wanted that more than anything; to belong somewhere. She didn’t belong anywhere she had been so far, so maybe there would be a place beyond the horizon where she could just be… well, her. Up here, alone on a mountain top with the horizon right in front of her, she found that she wanted to see what was past it. She wanted to run away from the pain of rejection, of fighting, of lies. She wanted to run to somewhere she could speak her mind without worry of further banishment. The sound of the wind blowing across her face was like a siren call, filling her with a longing that she knew well but was always too scared to do anything about.

Did she follow it this time?

Could she just… leave?

“Lily!”

“Lil! Where are you?!”

“For wings sake! Where is she?!”

The voices of Kiki and Oscar grew louder.

“I’m up here!” Lily called back, the hair on the back of her neck raising fearfully at the tones their voices had taken on.

Soon enough, she could see the black of their bodies against the white background, flying up to her through the increasing snowfall. “Are you ok?!” Oscar yelled before they even reached her.

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Oh, good. They haven’t come up this far.” Kiki sighed.

“Who didn’t?”

“Witches. They’re attacking the tribe looking for you!”

Dread. Horror. Nausea.

“We’ve got to go!” Kiki stated as Oscar shoved the satchel with Lily’s stuff into her arms.

“What? No. We’ve got to help!” Lily argued.

“They are warriors! You are not!” Kiki barked, pulling at the fur of Lily’s coat’s collar. “Plus, there’s no sign of you there; so, they can claim they know nothing of you. If you go down there, they’ll all be killed for assisting you.”

“But!”

“Ki’s right! We’ve got to hide!” Oscar snapped, pulling on Lily’s sleeve.

With a glance down the mountain where she could see smoke beginning to rise from the tribe’s direction, Lily let out an anguished groan before turning and following the cats further around the mountain. They were right, she would be more danger than she would be a help.

“How can anyone be so useless…” Lily grumbled once they pulled themselves through a slim gap between rocks which took them into a frozen cave.

The silence of the cave seemed louder than anything she had ever known as derogatory thoughts spun through her mind. They weren’t new, but somehow, they were heavier on her heart now more than they ever had been in her childhood. Perhaps it was because it was her own voice she could hear as opposed to people who didn’t really know her.

“Lil…”

“Don’t ‘Lil’ me! I’m the reason the witches came this far and now I’m running away and hiding? How is that not useless?? Or perhaps pathetic would be a better word.” Lily paced the length of the cave and back, the ice cracking under her feet and creating jagged, angry lines across the floor and up the walls. She shouldn’t be running. The Draconians had been so good to her, had helped heal her, had provided for her… and this was her thanks?!

With an angry yell, the ice lining the walls and ceiling shattered and fell to the ground with an ominous tinkling noise that echoed in the darkness.

“Nope. I can’t do this. I’m going back.” She stated finally.

“Are you crazy?!” Kiki yelped, flying up to hover in front of Lily’s face and stop her moving back towards the entrance.

“I have to do something.”

“They’ll kill you!”

“So, what?!” Lily snapped, shocking herself with how little she cared about that possibility. With a sigh she shook her head. “You guys really want to live if it’s just running away and leaving behind friends and family to suffer?”

Both cats stayed silent.

“We don’t want you to suffer…” Oscar offered.

“I’m already suffering.”

And wasn’t that the truest thing she had said in the last few months. The smile she put on telling Xalina and Tanith she was fine while her heart felt like it was vacant from her chest. The bravado she used to train when her body still had phantom pains shooting through it from her injured arm, and the burns around her wrists that had scarred now. The hours she had spent pretending to sleep while in fact too afraid to in case she had another dream of her neck being held in place while she couldn’t fight back.

Hanging her head, letting strands of her hair fall out of where they were tucked into her hood.

“I’m a freak and I’m unwanted by my own kind. The guy I thought loved me has tried to kill me twice. I’m pathetic and just keep running away. I’m even contemplating just leaving because I’m so scared… and I hate myself for it.” Because how weak did she have to be for all of this to be pushing her to this point? “I don’t want another reason to hate myself.”

It was that and the heavy look in her icy eyes that had Kiki deflate with a sigh and nod her head. “Alright. Let’s do it.”

“We’re with you.” Oscar chimed from where he had walked over to her and nudged her shin.

“I know…” If they weren’t, she wouldn’t have survived the bullying as a child, let alone this. “I love you both.”

Crunching over the broken ice, Lily shuffled her slight body through the gap before pulling all the ice shards out with her. They seemed to shine even under the dull sky and they held their own against the wind and snow that was increasing by the second. Pulling them in front of her, the shards closed in on one another to form a translucent shield for Lily to keep in front of her and the cats.

This terrain was truly where her creativity from her childhood could shine. Her old method of creating an ice slide to speed her descents on branches, right now, became the snow winding around her feet and shifting her quickly through the flakes of frozen water. So long as there was snow in her path, she could move quickly. It wasn’t graceful, but it would get her to the camp quicker.

While Lily, on her own, was hardly a formidable sight; the sight of the thrown-up snow from her movements becoming a small avalanche in her wake was enough to cause fright when she jumped down a ledge to be able to see the camp and those remaining in it.

Instantly, Lily could see that the witches had demolished the camp looking for her. The tepees had been torn down, the weapons and tools were tossed in a pile that burned angrily. There weren’t many in the Draconian tribe anyway, possibly sixty at most, and Lily could see a few laying completely still in the snow while the last of the witches dragged a couple of them away in shackles.

“Stop!” Without thought, Lily spread her arms and swung them to a clap in front of her. This movement sped up the avalanche behind her, the snow splitting to avoid her, and send it straight for the camp. It covered the fire, quashing it immediately, and it split around the Draconians so the witches were caught up in its current and taken straight down the mountain.

“That was…”

“Insane…”

She heard the cats murmur at the display but the white-haired fairy paid no attention. She didn’t know she could do something that big with her magic, but she also didn’t care right now.

Running over to the Draconians who stood stricken, she realised the male was Xavion.

“What was that?!” He half yelled.

“Snow?” Lily answered stupidly, transforming his expression from one of shocked awe to sarcasm.

“Really? I thought it was puppies.” He rolled his red eyes with a shake of his head.

“Oh, shut up…” Lily grumbled, lifting a handful of snow and placing it against the lock of both shackles. Concentrating on forming the right shapes and solidifying the ice so it wouldn’t break, the locks clicked and the shackles fell from their wrists.

“Mom! No!” The young female darted away from them over to one of the bodies in the snow, tears bursting from her the moment she realised there was no life in her mother.

Lily couldn’t look away.

Everything she had thought she was suffering… it was nothing in the face of what she was witnessing. The young draconian was probably younger than her, and here she was, crying over her mother’s body while the rest of the tribe were dead or gone.

“I shouldn’t have come here.” Lily whispered.

“This wasn’t your fault,” Xavion started.

“They would never have come if I wasn’t here. That girl’s mother would still be alive!” Lily snarled at the redhead before walking over to the pile in the centre of the camp. “I’ll get them back.” Leaning down, she pulled a charred polearm from the pile and shook it free of snow. The two cats walked over to her with confusion written on their faces, though to those, Lily gave a slight smile.

“Figured a new ‘fancy stick’ might be useful.” If she could funnel magic through a stick that was wand shaped, there seemed no reason why she couldn’t do it through a charred and blackened polearm that came with extra pointy bits. The wood was broken at the end making the point jagged while the metal blade that curved like a scythe remained solid.

“I think that’s called a ‘scary stick’,” Oscar chuckled.

“We’re going back into the witches’ land… scary might help.”

“How exactly do you plan on freeing them all?” Xavion chimed from where he had gone to comfort the grieving girl.

Lily paused. She hadn’t thought about that, she had no idea how she was going to face them - or even where they would have gone.

“I don’t know. But I freed Xalina, I’ll replace a way to do it again.” Her silver eyes glanced from one cat to the other, receiving a supportive nod from them both. After her admission in the cave, they both knew that arguing to leave it be was going to be fruitless.